If you cannot see the message, please click here

August 16, 2018

Dear NJGCA Member:

Thank you for reading this week's NJGCA Road Warrior!

Here is what you will find in this edition:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

• Magnuson-Moss Act Update; Governor Declares State of Emergency Amid Flooding; Gas Tax Still Possible But Unknown

NJGCA CLASSIFIEDS
- Monmouth County: Gas Station and Repair Shop Business Since 2001
- Bergen County: Shell Gas Station with 6-Bay Repair Shop for Sale

NEWS AROUND THE STATE
• NJ Gas Tax Likely To Increase Because Revenue Is Coming Up Short Of Target
• Help Control Cigarette Litter at Your Store
• What Saudi Arabia's Interest In Tesla Says About Its Long-term Oil Plans
• Gas Prices Flat Through First Two Weeks of August
• More Roads Than Ever Getting Repaved, Thanks To The Hated Gas Tax
• Why Environmentalists Are Opposed To NJ Shopping Bag Tax
• Cobalt Demand Still Rising Despite Efforts To Reduce Usage In EVs

TRAINING CLASS SCHEDULE!
??????• Emissions Inspector Training Class, WEDNESDAY September 19th, THURSDAY October 18th

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD
• The Amato Agency: Garage Insurance and Workers Compensation!
• ATS Environmental: Confidence in your Tank & Compliance Testing
• Bellomo Fuel: Exceptional Service, Aggressive Petroleum Marketing
• CBIZ Insurance: Our Business is Growing Yours!
• Gill Energy: Getting you There!
• Lending Capital: "Commercial Loans Made Easy" Program
• Salomone Brothers: Tank Testing and Environmental Compliance
• TMP Energy Solutions: Another Way to Save On Your Energy Bills

POLITICAL PARTICIPATON: THE NJGCA PAC
• Participate in the NJGCA PAC today and help us keep our Agenda rolling in Trenton!

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

JOIN NJGCA ON FACEBOOK -- CLICK HERE
TO SEE OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL -- CLICK HERE
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER-- CLICK HERE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE:

MAGNUSON-MOSS ACT UPDATE
GOVERNOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AMID FLOODING
GAS TAX INCREASE STILL POSSIBLE BUT UNKNOWN

Now that we are in the final weeks of summer, things have been pretty quiet in Trenton and throughout the state, but our offices are still open and busy! We do have a few quick items to update you on:

I have mentioned the Magnuson-Moss Act in the past and how this will affect your business. It will require the manufacturer to notify new car buyers that they are free to bring their car to your independent repair shop for any service that is not covered under warranty, and affirm that their new car warranty will not be voided because you performed other services. This passed in the Assembly last year but stalled in the Senate, and we have spent the past few months trying to get it moving again in both houses. However, it seems as if the car dealers are putting up enough of an objection that is making our job more difficult. This is what I need from you: I need for you to be able to recall to me specific instances where one of your regular customers did not bring their vehicle to you for service because they feared or were told by the dealer that their warranty would be voided if you performed a particular service. It is extremely important that I get some samples. Please either email me with your specific experience or call Eric in our office. This information will be very helpful.

On Tuesday, Governor Murphy declared a state of emergency for Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic counties amid the torrential rain storms we experienced this weekend. As you should all know from previous storms, this automatically triggers to anti-gouging laws, which I have reproduced for you below:

The State of Emergency declaration triggers the price gouging law (N.J.S.A. 56:8-109).

Specifically, this law makes it an unlawful practice to sell merchandise at what constitutes an excessive price increase during the State of Emergency or within 30 days of the termination of the State of Emergency. An excessive price increase is defined as:

"Excessive price increase" means a price that is excessive as compared to the price at which the consumer good or service was sold or offered for sale by the seller in the usual course of business immediately prior to the state of emergency. A price shall be deemed excessive if:

(1) The price exceeds by more than 10% the price at which the good or service was sold or offered for sale by the seller in the usual course of business immediately prior to the state of emergency, unless the price charged by the seller is attributable to additional costs imposed by the seller's supplier or other costs of providing the good or service during the state of emergency;

(2) In those situations where the increase in price is attributable to additional costs imposed by the seller's supplier or additional costs of providing the good or service during the state of emergency, the price represents an increase of more than 10% in the amount of markup from cost, compared to the markup customarily applied by the seller in the usual course of business immediately prior to the state of emergency.

A violation of the law is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 for the first offense and $20,000 for the second and subsequent offenses. Each individual sale of merchandise is considered a separate and distinct event.

Also previously mentioned is our effort to keep the Gas Tax from increasing by more than a penny on October 1. Eric Blomgren in our office did a comprehensive analysis of the revenues being brought in by the current tax. Since the 2016 law requires a total of $2 billion each year over an eight year period, the tax is set to increase whenever a shortfall occurs. Eric’s calculation shows the potential for as much as a 3.4¢ increase. We sent a memo to the Treasurer back in May demonstrating how the total eight year goal of $16 billion dollars can still be accomplished if the Treasurer would use her discretion under the law to increase the tax only one penny each year rather than 3.4¢ this year. We requested a meeting that was finally granted three weeks ago. After presenting our plan, which also included a discussion on “how self-serve could lower the price at the pump,” Eric was invited back a few days later to help the Treasurer’s office crunch the numbers that we presented. The law says the Treasurer must make her determination by August 15 every year. Although we were told that she would indeed make the determination on time, we have heard nothing. We know of at least one diligent reporter who obviously knows the law and marked his calendar, because this article popped up this morning. Click HERE to read.

That's all for this week-
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

TRAINING CLASSES!!
All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753

Emissions Inspector Training Class - One Day Only!
WEDNESDAY, September 19th, 2018 -- 7 AM to 3 PM
OR
THURSDAY, October 18th, 2018 -- 7 AM to 3 PM
Want one of your technicians to become a NJ Emissions Inspector? We can help! Our one-day class will provide all the information for becoming a NJ Emissions Inspector, and the State will administer the written test the very same day at our offices! We are offering the class: Wednesday, September 19th and Thursday, October 18th from 7:00am to 3:00pm.
Cost is $275 for members.
Click HERE for September and HERE for October registration forms

FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 732-256-9646 or DEBBIE@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING A SPECIFIC CLASS. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GAUGE YOUR NEEDS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE!!

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS

FOR SALE:

Business For Sale: Monmouth County gas station and repair shop in business since 2001 is for sale. Owner is relocating out of state and is interested in selling business and equipment. Owner is open to limited financing. Business has a strong 10 year lease. The building has two repair bays and the gas pumps are leased to a large independent tenant. Repair shop business currently employs a Manager and two full-time Technicians. For inquiries and more info, please call Mark at 908-670-7798.

FOR SALE:

Shell Gas Station with 6-Bay Repair Shop for Sale in Bergen County!

Business established in 1980. Fully equipped repair shop with 5 lifts including an alignment rack with a 2-year-old Hunter Hawkeye alignment machine. New Hunter tire machine & wheel balancer. AAA approved and very busy.

Towing business also available which includes 3 Freightliner/JerrDan flatbeds (2015, 2016 & 2017), a 2012 Dodge crew cab wrecker with a Jerrdan Quick Pick & dual cable winch & 2 service trucks (a 2012 GMC 2500 utility truck with a plow & a 2014 Ford transit battery/service vehicle).

Pumping over 1,000,000 gallons per year. 100x300 lot with plenty of parking. Excellent location!!! Call Jim @ 201-851-3084.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

8/16/18
NJ Gas Tax Likely To Increase Because Revenue Is Coming Up Short Of Target
While a final ruling is going down to the wire in Trenton, it’s appearing more likely that New Jersey’s gas tax will increase by at least a few pennies later this year thanks to a 2016 law. The state’s top budget officials had until yesterday to get together to determine whether the gas tax, at its current rate, was producing enough revenue to stave off an upward adjustment. . . The lack of an official ruling yesterday doesn’t mean that motorists are in the clear. In fact, the latest state revenue figures suggest a modest gas-tax hike will be needed to comply with the terms of the 2016 law, which is intended to protect the integrity of the state’s Transportation Trust Fund. Any hike would go into effect on October 1. Right now, the state’s per-gallon tax for gasoline is 37.5 cents. While an increase that brings it closer to or even beyond 40 cents could go unnoticed by most motorists at the pump, it would eat into whatever competitive advantage New Jersey continues to maintain against other states in the region that have higher gas taxes.

8/14/18
Help Control Cigarette Litter at Your Store
Litter is one of the top reasons consumers oppose having a convenience store or gas station in their communities. According to Keep America Beautiful (KAB), every litter stand reduces the littering rate for cigarette butts by 9%. Many smokers say they would properly dispose of their butts if suitable receptacles were available. As part of a new joint initiative of KAB and Philip Morris USA, for a limited time U.S. convenience stores can request free litter stands to collect cigarette butts. Litter stands will be delivered to retailers with all materials, hardware and guidance needed for installation. Retailers are asked to maintain litter stands by servicing them regularly. U.S. convenience stores can request one or more free litter stands until September 15.

8/14/18
What Saudi Arabia's Interest In Tesla Says About Its Long-term Oil Plans
The prospect of Saudi Arabia backing Tesla provides a glimpse into the kingdom's oil and economic strategy, and it's not as simple as a hedge against crude's long-term decline. Saudi Arabia is OPEC's dominant producer and holds massive reserves, but the kingdom wants to diversify its economy away from crude oil at a time when some analysts see a global demand peak beginning to appear over the long-term horizon. While electric vehicles are just a niche market today (less than 2% of global sales), the Saudi's are keen to invest in growing tech sectors — even one that will help erode oil's dominance in transportation. But that doesn't mean they're envisioning the end of the oil age. They're also pouring massive resources into expanding state-owned petrochemicals giant SABIC, signaling deepening interest in oil's use beyond transportation fuels.

8/13/18
Gas Prices Flat Through First Two Weeks of August

For the two weeks ending Aug. 13, the national average price of gas has held steady at $2.86, according to a report by AAA. That’s down only once cent since this time last week, three cents less than a month ago and 51 cents more than this time last year. The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest reports points out consumer demand is dropping again and gas inventories are again growing, marking the first increase in inventories in six weeks with a 3 million bbl gain.

8/12/18
More Roads Than Ever Getting Repaved, Thanks To The Hated Gas Tax
Thanks to last year’s state 23-cent-a-gallon hike in the New Jersey motor-fuels tax, Bergen County last week unleashed a $13.5-million road-paving project that promises to improve the shoddy conditions of 34 of Bergen’s 440 miles of county roads. . . More than 30 percent is funneled to NJ Transit under the theory that a good mass-transit system keeps cars and trucks from clogging highways even more than they do now. To their credit, motor-heads who hate the gas tax fear politicians who make a practice of looking for ways to use TTF funding for their pet projects. For example, some critics become nearly apoplectic at the thought of funneling toll-road money to the TTF, which in turn finances rail projects — a practice that long ago became policy. But this is nothing new. Virtually all American mass-transit systems rely on government subsidies. So, it has become normal for people in one of America’s highest-taxed states to hate the motor fuels tax, which is no longer the second lowest in the nation. Motorists who travel through our corridor state (including those who otherwise don’t pay taxes on sales, income or property here) now shell out 37.5 cents a gallon for gasoline and 44.2 cents for diesel.

8/12/18
Why Environmentalists Are Opposed To NJ Shopping Bag Tax
The state of New Jersey is waiting to see whether Gov. Phil Murphy will sign legislation that would implement a five-cent fee on single-use plastic and paper bags given to shoppers. Groups say this legislation doesn't go far enough. They're hoping Murphy decides against signing the bill as is, and makes a few adjustments for the Legislature to consider. "The most recent iteration of bag laws is to ban plastic and put a fee on paper bags," said John Weber, Mid-Atlantic regional manager for the Surfrider Foundation. "We call it a hybrid — ban on plastic, fee on paper." Weber said the point of such legislation is to change the public's behavior, not to nickel and dime everyone. And with the current bill allowing one cent of each fee to go back to the retailer, stores may actually push plastic bags on customers. "Those of us that have been doing this for a long time — we know what works best," said Weber, a resident of Bradley Beach, which recently adopted a hybrid bill that takes effect in 2019.

8/10/18

Cobalt Demand Still Rising Despite Efforts To Reduce Usage In EVs
Sourcing of cobalt, a material commonly used in lithium ion batteries for portable electronics and electronic vehicles, has come under intense scrutiny lately for economic, political and geographical reasons. Most notably, 58% of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where production is attended by political unrest and reported human rights violations, including child labor. The big picture: While significant efforts to reduce cobalt quantities in EV batteries are underway, they are still very much a work in progress. Global demand for cobalt has nearly quadrupled in the past 5 years as a result of increased demand for rechargeable batteries, and is expected to keep rising. Several battery companies have come out to declare their intention to cut down on cobalt usage. Tesla, for example, has already made progress toward reducing cobalt in their EVs by an estimated 60%, from 11 to 4.5 kilograms per car, and promises that the next generation will contain none at all.

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

TMP Energy Solutions

Another Way to Save on Your Energy Bills

We have had a number of NJGCA members successfully reduce their rate per kWh signing up through our energy saving program. We know it's difficult to collect 12 months worth of previous electric bills to get an "accurate" analysis when comparing a variable rate to a fixed rate, but we now have another option available.

This new solution is a power purchase option; the other program is still in full force and has saved members thousands of dollars. If you sign up for the power purchase option, you will be grouped with other NJGCA members until the minimum kW demand is acquired. By pooling the member's usage together, you will be able to take advantage, as large energy users do, and receive a lower kWh rate.

Each member will receive their own contract. Each member is responsible to sign and return the agreement the day it is received in order to secure the price for their group. Please do your due diligence, so when you receive the proposal and the agreement you will be able to make an intelligent decision.

If by chance, you still want us to assess you bills, to give you a price to compare, we will require 12 months of your most recent utility bills. There are no bills required, but we would still like to have one bill per meter on file to check account #'s, meter #'s service addresses and other pertinent information incase there is a problem.

The term of the agreement is for 12 months. During this term period, you will have price protection against any energy price increases along with a low fixed kWh rate.

If you are interested in becoming part of this power purchase option, please contact Greg Cannon at the NJGCA.

Remember when you sign up your energy through the NJGCA Energy Program, TMP makes a considerable donation to the NJGCA Scholarship Fund through their proceeds. This has no affect on your rate, and costs you nothing out of pocket.

We hope to help hundreds of NJGCA members reduce their utility costs by participating in this and our other cost reduction programs. Our purpose, in the endeavor, is to help NJGCA members lower their energy costs while supporting the NJGCA Scholarship Fund.

Contact GREG CANNON at 732-256-9646 or email Greg at greg@njgca.org. Mention that you are interested in saving money on your energy bills. NJGCA & TMP Energy Solutions will handle all the rest.

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: THE NJGCA PAC

DEFENDING OUR MEMBERS.
PROTECTING YOUR INTERESTS.
ANSWER THE CALL & CONTRIBUTE TODAY!!

Promoting our agenda in Trenton is of utmost importance to NJGCA and our members.

However, in order to truly affect the debate, we must ensure our friends in the Legislature are re-elected. It is for this reason that your Association has established the NJGCA PAC.

For too long, the weight of funding our Political Action Committee, the arm of the Association responsible for political donations, has rested upon a few. This is not only unfair to those few members who have shouldered this burden, but means we are not utilizing our full strength to affect the debate in Trenton.

To truly understand the importance of supporting our allies, consider our successes in Trenton:

We defeated BELOW COST SELLING
We made history in getting FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL signed into law!
We have built large support for RIGHT TO REPAIR and got it passed out of the Assembly
We defended your small business against the false accusations of Attorney General Anne Milgram
We gained wide support to move New Jersey to an all PIF Inspection System and close the CIF lanes
...and MUCH MORE!!

In each instance, we achieved these goals with the help of our friends in the Legislature!

If every member contributes just $100.00 we will be able to provide the help necessary to ensure victory for our allies.

PLEASE SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO:
NJGCA PAC
4900 Route 33 West, Suite 100
Wall Township, NJ 07753
Please make your donation payable to NJGCA PAC

I understand that times are tough for all NJGCA members, but this is just as important as any battle we have fought in the past.

We have made great progress in Trenton. I hope that you will answer the call.

Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices

Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.